Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-06-19


Anin Nilt vi I as not lika IS Ioh. II
y were Only the ma and the K1f;xno8%
but the SIR, The Nitlt lfwe9tvs Won hack
the warrant what shall we have Ia show
for The deed Of bloody TIE warrant must
remain with US
Yah, yah, heisrighkr said the unicorn;
the warrant must remain with us. Put
1t in your pocket JAM
Curse YOU, giveit to metz said Muller.
between his teeth.
mo, Frank Muller, nor' answered the
Nlderbeeste; patting his pocket while the
two OF three square inches of skin round
his nose wrinkled up in q hairy grin that,
owing to the cut on his head, was even
more curious than usual; IF you wish to
have the warrant you shall have it, but
then We shall up saddle and 90, and you
can do your numbering yourself. There,
therel take your choice; We shall be glad
enough to get home, for we do not like the
Job. If / 10 out shooting / like to shoot
buck or Kafir, not white people"
Frank Muller reflected a moment, and
then he laughed q little. ''YOu are funny
people, you home-bred Beers" he said;
but perhaps you are right. After all,
what does it matter who has the warrant,
provided the thing is well done? Mind
there is no bungling, that is ALL"
"Yah, YAH" said the fat-faced man,
you can trust us for that. 1t won't be
the first that we have tOppled over If /
have nv warrant / ask nothing better
than to go on shooting E~nglishmen all
night, one down, the other come on. i
know no prettier sight than an English
man topping oyer."
stop that talk and saddle up, the cart
is waiting. You fools can never under
stand the difference between killing when
it is necessary to kill and killing for kill
ing's sake. These peoplemust die because
they have betrayed the land"
--"Yah, YAH" said the Y~ilderbeeste,
betrayed the land; we have heard that
before. Those who betray the land must
manure it; that is q good rule;' and he
laughed and passed on.
Frank Muller watched his retreating
form with q smile Of peculiar malignity
on his handsome face. "Ah, my friend, "
be said to himself in Dutch, You and that
warrant will part company before you are
many hours older. Why, it would be
enough to hang me, even in this happy
land of patriots. 0ld-would not for,
give ever me for taking that little liberty
with his name. Dear me, what a lot Of
trouble one has to take to be rid of O single
enemy! Well, it must be done, and Bessie
is well worth it; but if it had not been fol
this war | could never have managed it.
All! l did well TO give my voice for war.
l am sorry for the girl jess, butt must be,
there must be no living witness left. All.
we are going to have q storm. So much
the better. Such deeds are best done in 8
storm"
Muller was right; the storm was coming
up fast, throwing a veil Of inky cloud
across the star-spangled sky. In South
Africa there is but little twilight, and the
darkness follows hard upon the heels of the
day. No sooner had the great angry bal
of the sun finally disappeared than the
night swept with all her stars across the
sky. And now after her came the great
storm, covering up her beauty with his
blackneSs. The air was sitting hot
Above was a starry space; to the east the
angry bosom of the storm, in which the
lightnings were already playing with al
ineessant tlickeriDg movement, and to the
west a deep red glow, reflected from the
sunken sun, yet fingered on the horizon.
On toiled the horses through the gather
ing gloom. Fortunately the road wa.
fairly level and free from mudholes, anG
Frank Muller rode Just ahead to show tht
way, his strong, manly form standing out
clear against the departing western glow
Silent was the earth-silent as death. NJ
bird OF beast, no blade of grass or breath
of air stirred upon its surface. The only
sign OF life was the continual Pickering o.
those awful tongues Of light as they licked
the lips of the storm. On for mile aftel
mile, on through the desolation. They
could not be far from the river now, ans
could catch the distant growing of the
thunder, echoing sOlemuly down it.
1t was an awful night. Great pillars o
mud-eOlOred cloud came creeping acros:
the surface of the veldt towards them
seemingly blown along without a wind
And now, too, a ghasly-lOoking ringeC
moon arose and threw a weird, distorted
light upon the blaCkness that seemed Il
shudder in her rays, a though with
preseience Of the advancing terror. Or
crept the mud-cOlored columns, and OF
above them, and resting on them, came
the muttering storm. The cart was quitt
close to the river now, and they could
plainly hear its murmur. To their lel
was a koppie covered with white slablik,
stones, which the sickly mOOnbeam!
danced.
Look, John, lOokp' cried jess, with al
historical laugh; 1T looks like a hug,
graveyard, and the dark shadows between
are the ghosts of the buried"
Nonsense" said John, steTnly; "wha
do You mean by talking such rubbish?'
He felt that she was a little OFF he
balance, and, what is more, he was gettinI
rather off his own, and therefore wa
naturally the angrier with her, and tn,
more determined to be perfectly matter-oi
fact.
jess made no answer, but she wa
frightened; she could not tell why. Tn
whole thing resembled some awful dream
or one of DOre's pictures come to life. NJ
doubt, also, the near presence OF the storm
exercised an effect upon her nerves. Ever
the wearied horses snorted and shoOl
themselves uneasily.
They crept over the ridge of a wave o
land, and the wheels rolled softly on tn
grass.
"Wby, we are OF the roadp' shouteI
John to Muller, vino was still guiding
them, fifteen or twenty PAGES ahead.
"All right! all right! it is a short cut h
the fOrd!' he called in answer, and hi
voice rang strange and hollow through tn
great depths of the silence.
Below them, a hundred yards away, tn,
light such as il was, CLEANED family upol
the wide surface ofthe river. Another fiv,
minutes and they were on its shore, but il
the gathering gloom they could not max
out the opposite bank.
Turn to the ieft!' shouted Muller
''the ford is q few yards up. II is too dec
here for the horses"
John turned accordingly, and followed
Muller's horse some three hundred up tn,
, bank till they came 10 q spot where th
water ran with an angry music, and Their
was a great swirl Of eddies.
Here is the place." said Muller; "yO1
must make haste through. The house
inst the other side, and it will be better u
get there before the tempest breaks"